Post a picture of your grip style

[laramars]

Mom taught me to crochet. She still holds her hook like a pencil, she looks so elegant when she crochets. I never could do it though. I always held mine like you would a bicycle handle bar. Last december I tried it her way and practiced. Of course with my new hooks it's so natural!

 

My son was happy to take this for me.:dragonfly

 

hooks from Janel http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZjanelb

[mwedzi]

Mine is a lot like Pink's or Shella's. I hold the yarn out over my left middle finger real far though.

[Inch]

I starting holding it like this but didn't really like it.

 

But am now holding it like this. I want to make sure I find a style that works well for me before one style becomes habit.

[jimbo]

Two great examples of grips i'm becoming more and more familiar with, hook-making wise, Inch. One thing i found most interesting is that with really large hooks (Q's etc) some folks who use the pencil grip (your top photo) will switch to the toothbrush grip (bottom photo) for comfort.

My experience making hooks for both grip styles leads me to think there is more of the hand involved with the grip in the toothbrush style, and it seems logical because of that, that that (wow three "thats"... a record!) grip style would be the least tiring... because you aren't concentrating stress on just the thumb and two fingers.

Anyway... thanks for the post! And welcome to C'ville!

[Poochie]

This is how I'm most comfortable...

 

[jimbo]

Classic pencil grip you have there, Poochie... and after seeing your work in the background and checking your blog..... its pretty obvious you're a very talented person!

Thanks for sharing!

[yarnlover66]

 

 

This is how I hold my hook. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago for Jimbo so he could make me a hook. This is the first I've seen this post. It is very interesting to see how others hold their hooks. I'm fascinated when I watch people crochet that hold their hooks like a knife. Amazes me.

 

I don't know how to post a picture directly to my post. Can someone tell me how to?

[jimbo]

Nice photo, Teresa. You can get instructions on how to post photos from Julie... she has some instructions that even I could follow!

Jimbo

[dixieredhead]

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a36/yarnlover66/Crochet%20Projects/crocheting2.jpg

 

Thats how I hold my hook too. I havent seen anyone hold the thread they way i do though. I guess I'll try to get hubby to take a pic. I love seeing all the different positions of holding hooks too!

[mscrocheter]

Here's my grip style that I sent to Jimbo a few weeks ago:

 

 

Madelyn

[Mint]

Excuse the image..It's hard to get a picture when all you have is a scanner to do it with So from the other side my grip looks like:

 

 

(Except my left hand with the thread tends to be in the blue area - it's further out because my grip slipped while getting the scan )

 

I can't wrap thread/yarn around my fingers for tension - it throws me off and is very uncomfortable! Instead I just grip it under my left middle finger and over my left index finger.

 

So a mostly-pencil grip person here (though it's not so clear in the image!)

[sfgwife]

So I am a lefty and this is how I hold mine. Nikki

 

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f58/sfgwife/P1010279.jpg

[13bodies]

Here's mine. You'd think I had cats chasing my hook looking at the grip I've got on it! Oh wait, I do!

 

 

That's exactly like I hold mine, except I"m a lefty. I've always thought that it looks as though my death grip on my hook is the only thing keeping me from flying off into space.

[jimbo]

So I am a lefty and this is how I hold mine. Nikki

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f58/sfgwife/P1010279.jpg

 

Another unique grip!!! Middle finger forward. I like it! What a wonderous variety we have!

[jenhen]

Well I don't have a digital camera so I can't post a picture. I rest the hook on top of my thumb and grip with my pinky and ring fingers so the base of the hook is against my hand. I can't use hooks that are carved at the bottom! My middle and index fingers sometimes rest on the hook, sometimes hold the yarn--I tend to switch the yarn back and forth from hand to hand to keep my tension. I have never been able to get used to wrapping the yarn around my fingers.

[richsgirl]

I would be ahshamed to show you guys how I crochet, it's ridiculous!! I crochet holding my hook and yarn in the same hand and yarn over as if I were knitting. My other hand simply holds the material. At one point during every stitch, my hand is completely off of my hook and it is flying through the air being held simply by the loop.

[jimbo]

Ha!! You otta do a video of that!!

[ria]

 

you can't hide your age with your hands

Some of you crocheters out there have gorgeous hands.

Taking this photo was very tricky . . I actually held a pen in my mouth to push the button on the camera . Do I have too much spare time or what??!!

[sparkles]

Two great examples of grips i'm becoming more and more familiar with, hook-making wise, Inch. One thing i found most interesting is that with really large hooks (Q's etc) some folks who use the pencil grip (your top photo) will switch to the toothbrush grip (bottom photo) for comfort.

My experience making hooks for both grip styles leads me to think there is more of the hand involved with the grip in the toothbrush style, and it seems logical because of that, that that (wow three "thats"... a record!) grip style would be the least tiring... because you aren't concentrating stress on just the thumb and two fingers.

Anyway... thanks for the post! And welcome to C'ville!

 

Ya know, I learned many, many moons ago, and I think the only way at that time was the pencil-holding way, with the thumb and index on the flat part of the hook. My left hand has the thread tensioned over the index, and I have to admit sometimes that extends WAYYY out, and then I find I'm not comfortable and bring it back in a ways, but not close. One question, tho. If you hold it like a toothbrush doesn't your arm do a lot of swinging about? I have arthritis, and my right elbow has extra pain when I crochet much, yet the toothbrush way seems to move my arm and elbow even more. (make sense?) More movement hurts. Well, there's days ANY movement hurts! (Like last night's crocheting when I didn't know it was gonna rain today:angry ) So which is easiest on an elbow????

[sparkles]

Here's my grip style that I sent to Jimbo a few weeks ago:

 

 

Madelyn

NICE NAILS!!!

[nightowl]

I would be ashamed to show you guys how I crochet, it's ridiculous!! I crochet holding my hook and yarn in the same hand and yarn over as if I were knitting. My other hand simply holds the material. At one point during every stitch, my hand is completely off of my hook and it is flying through the air being held simply by the loop.

Hey richsgirl, never be ashamed!

 

Bet you didn't know designer, queen of the bullion stitch and leading freeform crocheter Bonnie Pierce works in exactly the same way -- see here. And it doesn't seem to have held her back at all, LOL.

[jimbo]

welp, someone who crochets alot and has experienced both grip styles might best answer that for you, but my 2cents from studying grips and holding hooks mimicing grips is that wrist movement might be a bit more involved with the toothbrush grip, and fingers might be a bit more involved with the pencil grip, but elbows might be almost equally involved in both. Seems to me so long as the work comes out good, the bottom line is like the 70's saying.... if it feels good, do it.

[richsgirl]

Thanks nightowl! That's pretty neat. The grip is a little diffrent than mine but the stitch is done exactly the same. I never would have believed that anyone else out there does that!!

[Luvdancin']

Jimbo, you make me laugh time and time again..."Bare Handed Hookers".

 

I guess I would say that I use a toothbrush grip. Like Jimbo said whatever feels right and gets the job done.

[jimbo]

just thought i'd bring this thread back up to see if anyone has a new and different grip style to show us.